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On the eve of the Feast Day of St. Scholastica, St. Benedict’s sister and our founder, let’s turn to the second letter of Paul to the Corinthians. We hear: “’Whoever boasts, should boast in the Lord.’ For it is not the one who recommends the self who is approved, but the one whom the Lord recommends.”

We did not choose God, God chose us. What is it that God asks of us? What was it that St. Scholastica asked of her sisters?

Though we know little about St. Scholastica, it is possible she would have encouraged her Sisters in words similar to the following excerpt addressed to consecrated persons in the encyclical, Vita Consecrata. It reads:

“Live to the full your dedication to God, so that this world may never be without a ray of divine beauty to lighten the path of human existence. Christians, immersed in the cares and concerns of this world but also called to holiness, need to discover in you purified hearts which in faith “see” God, people docile to the working of the Holy Spirit who resolutely press on in fidelity to the charism of their call and mission. …

“The world and the Church seek authentic witnesses to Christ. And the consecrated life is a gift which God offers in order that everyone can recognize the “one thing necessary” (Lk 10:42). To bear witness to Christ by one’s life, works and words is the particular mission of the consecrated life in the Church and in the world. …

“Do not forget that you, in a very special way, can and must say that you not only belong to Christ but that ‘you have become Christ’!”

As we celebrate the Feast Day of St. Scholastica, we welcome your inquiry into our monastic life. Blessings on your journey.